Before the kids arrived, my fellow Sibshop facilitator trainees met with workshop leader Don Meyer to discuss how the day would go and what we should expect.  We were busy about the room setting up for activities as the kids filed in.  Both the kids' and facilitators' shyness was palpable. 

Everyone hung back except Don, who had clearly done this many times over the years.  He quickly began to engage reticent kids in conversation.  It was readily apparent that he had unending energy and connected easily and solidly with the children.  He soon had a following--including the two boys who seemed to feel that this would be a wasted Saturday.  It was easy, at this point, to round them up and soon they were seated at his feet in a semi-circle, with facilitators behind them.  As I looked around the group every eye, both child and adult, focused on the leader with rapt attention.

This demonstration Sibshop we hoped would launch Sibshops in New Mexico--and my first experience with this type of workshop.  I was not prepared for what I experienced, what I learned, and the delightful things I saw.

Sibshops are interactive (with the emphasis on active) workshops for siblings of kids with special needs.  This workshop was far from a counseling session, which many siblings do not need.  It provided these active children, ages 9-13, with an opportunity to do what they do the best: be children.

According to research, early teens begin to turn to their peers for support.  They ask questions of their peers, listen to peers' advice (often over the advice of their parents), and model themselves after peers they respect.  Much research has been done to bring out the possibly harmful affects of this sort of peer support.  This belief is that "the blind are leading the blind"-- teens attempting to lead each other through the maze of life's complexities. 

Don Meyer, on the other hand, believes that peer support can be positive.  His sibling support workshops build on this belief.  Children coming into their teen years can benefit from interacting and learning from other children much like them, in this case, children with siblings who have special needs.  His Sibshops are interactive, active, and fun.  I saw the wallflowers become leaders.  I saw shy children and adults become loud participants.  I was amazed at the change! The boys quickly became a part of the fun and games, including an activity where each child interviewed another.  By the end of the day, there were no frowns, only smiles. Even though this demonstration Sibshop was a stand-alone event and these adult and children might not see each other again, the day was deemed a huge success.  The hope in each facilitator's heart was to see Sibshops flourish throughout the state of New Mexico, encompassing all cultures.